Connect with us

Entertainment

LeBron James and other Lakers players pay tribute to Jerry West, whose legacy lives on as the NBA’s logo but whose story also includes a troubled past

Published

on

Lakers’ LeBron James pays tribute to NBA legend Jerry West, whose legacy lives on in the NBA logo, but whose story also includes a troubled past

Tributes poured in on June 12 after news broke of the death of Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry West. The reason for death was not immediately released. He was 86 years old.

West, who left the Lakers after the 1999-2000 season under this pressure it affected his healthreceived a lot of praise from NBA greats, including LeBron James, who has been playing for the Lakers since 2018.

“I will truly miss our conversations, my dear friend! My thoughts and prayers go out to your wonderful family! Love you forever Jerry! Rest in paradise, my boy,” wrote four-time NBA champion LeBron James on X. Although James and West played in numerous eras and never overlapped during West’s tenure in the Lakers front office, the pair of basketball icons have at all times had a deep admiration for every other.

Lebron James pays tribute to Lakers legend Jerry West
LeBron James (left) pays tribute to franchise great Jerry West (right), whose death was announced on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (Photos: @Kingjames/Instagram, @officialjerrywest/Instagram)

Jerry West is taken into account considered one of the best players in NBA history. As a player, he won one championship with the Lakers and later became the architect of the franchise’s Nineteen Eighties “Showtime” dynasty. West, who broke his nose nine times as a player in the league, won eight NBA titles as a front office executive, winning six with the Lakers and two with the Golden State Warriors.

His most memorable moves as an executive included overseeing the Lakers’ acquisitions of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. West made the now-infamous move in a single week in 1996, which became the foundation for one more installment of the Lakers dynasty.

West’s silhouette is the inspiration for the NBA logo.

James also described West as a mentor and friend. “My mentor, my friend! I hope I continue to make you proud! We already missed you!” he wrote.

In 2022, West praised James and described him as a “Swiss army knife.”

“I really admire what he has done” – West he said James at the moment. “It’s hard for me to consider that somebody doesn’t realize their greatness. This guy does every part. It’s a Swiss army knife. And he’s competitive as hell. Honestly, I wish people would just leave him alone.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver praised West for his achievements each on the basketball court and in the front office.

“Jerry’s forty years with the Lakers also included a successful head coaching career and a remarkable front office career that cemented his reputation as one of the greatest executives in sports history.” – Silver said in a statement. “I valued my friendship with Jerry and the knowledge he shared with me over many years about basketball and life.”

NBA great Michael Jordan summarized the passing of the legendary basketball figure. Stephen A. Smith of ESPN said Jordan texted him a statement about West, saying he was “deeply saddened” after learning of the death.

“I am deeply saddened to hear of Jerry’s death. He was a true friend and mentor. Like a big brother to me,” Jordan said via Smith. “I always wish I could have played against him as a player, but the more I got to know him, the more I wish I had been his teammate… Rest in peace, Logo.”

West’s long list of accomplishments includes being a member of 14-time NBA All-Star teams. During his exceptional profession, he was chosen to the All-NBA 12 times. West retired in 1974 and became the Lakers’ head coach two years later.

After three years of coaching, West moved to customer support.

Other distinguished basketball figures reacted to the news of West’s death.

“Jerry West’s passing was a shock. LOGO has influenced every aspect of our sport. As a player, talent evaluator, general manager and president of the Grizzlies. We spent time there together and that’s when I learned more about him,” former Kentucky men’s basketball coach and current Arkansas head coach – said John Calipari.

“Jerry West even made ‘Showtime.’ It is thanks to you that I am who I am today. You believed in me when no one else did, and for that I am forever grateful. You will always be my “basketball dad.” I love you Logo, my heart is broken. We will miss you” – former NBA player Byron Scott he wrote. Scott won three NBA titles with the Lakers during the iconic “Showtime” era in the Nineteen Eighties.

Former Lakers star Pau Gasol, who won two NBA championships with Kobe Bryant, also expressed his condolences.

“Rest in peace, dear Jerry. Thank you for every part you may have done and given to this game,” Gasol he wrote.

However, away from the basketball court, West was scuffling with personal problems. In his memoir, “West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life,” released in 2011, he detailed periods of his life through which he struggled with abuse and depression.

In a candid account of his life, West detailed how he was physically abused as a child. He also opened up about the vitriol he had towards his father, to the point where he often kept a gun by his bed and even considered the idea of ​​using said weapon against his father.

West had a close relationship together with his older brother, Sgt. David West, who was killed in combat during the Korean War in 1951. West stated that the lack of his brother was something that West couldn’t deal with throughout his life. West also struggled with clinical depression and at one point was taking Prozac day by day.

West’s ex-wife previously described him as “the saddest man she had ever met.” She even wrote a letter to then-Lakers owner Jerry Buss, warning him that West was a “very tortured person.”

West is survived by his wife, Karen, with whom he has two sons. West also had three sons together with his first wife, Martha.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

Kanye West’s Wife Bianca Censori Ignores Kim Kardashian’s Demands, Goes Braless Around Rapper’s Kids

Published

on

By

Kanye West

Kanye West’s wife Bianca Censori is choosing revealing and skimpy outfits despite being warned to be moderate in her wardrobe selections when round her husband’s children.

The couple have been spotted in Japan and China in recent weeks, sometimes with the rapper’s 4 children on board. West has daughters North, 11, and Chicago, 6, and sons Saint, 8, and Psalm, 5, with ex-wife Kim Kardashian.

The former couple divorced after a lengthy process that dragged on until November 2022 after Kim filed in 2021. They were married for seven years amid rumors of marital tensions dating back to 2016. The “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” rapper married Australian-born Censori in a personal ceremony in December 2022, although an official marriage certificate has yet to be released.

Kanye West's Wife Doesn't Wear a Bra
Kanye West’s wife goes braless during a family outing with the rapper’s sons, despite strict rules imposed by his ex-wife. (Photo: Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

On Thursday, September 19, the couple and their sons were spotted shopping in Tokyo. The Yeezy’s Architecture boss wore a nude top, sans bra, and a pair of gray capri leggings.

When the recordings and photos from the trip appeared on the web, one person he tweeted“Very rude to Japanese culture. Disappointing from Ye. Japanese culture is all about manners! He has nothing terrible to do in front of his children. How will he feel when North dresses like that?”

Censori, 29, has been accused of being her husband’s fashion muse, very similar to the SKIMS businesswoman once was. But despite claims that the 2 women have a cordial relationship, there have been rumors that Kardashian disapproves of Censori’s risqué clothing.

According to a report in February, an alleged insider claimed that “Kim instructed Kanye to never let Bianca dress like that in front of their children.” Daily mail“She’s really surprised Kanye let his wife leave the house in that condition,” a source told the tabloid.

“Kanye did the same thing he did with Bianca, with Kim throughout their marriage. The difference is that when Kanye dressed Kim, he was respected as a person, as an artist,” they continued.

While West is usually seen in black sweatpants and hoodies, Censori is never seen together with her butt, chest, and other body parts hidden from view. “Sheer clothing is silly at best, like Bianca Censori is hot, but she usually looks like someone’s idea of ​​a joke,” we read. criticism her fashion selections.

Similarly, while watching the Tokyo shopping trip, a post comparing Censori and Kardashian’s love of skintight outfits began circulating. “Are they both in a costume contest, I wish they could model something else,” we read tweet.

The post shows each women wearing white leggings (Censori wore lace leggings) and a white bodysuit, which caught the eye of onlookers who noted her cleavage.

However, amid accusations that the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star was copying and controlling West, stylist Laura Beham revealed that every outfit is a piece of Censori’s own imagination.

“Bianca knows exactly what she would wear and we execute, bringing the vision to life,” Beham said. Complex in March. She also noted that “Bianca wouldn’t wear anything on the street if she didn’t want to. … It’s shocking to people, but innovation is always shocking at first.”

Censori is not afraid to point out off his daring outfit selections, but some are hoping he’ll make higher decisions within the presence of the rapper’s family, his friends, and even his circle of relatives.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
Continue Reading

Entertainment

On Rapsody’s “Loose Rocks” and the Remorse of an Alzheimer’s Survivor — Andscape

Published

on

By

September 13 on ESPN was mine “Rhapsody moment.” Talking about my mother, who has Alzheimer’s, on national television for the first time was cathartic. It was also directly inspired by the North Carolina MC and her song “Loose rocks”, which deals with dementia, a form of Alzheimer’s disease.

Rhapsody said that “(allowing) myself to be human” was a brand new, out-of-body experience on her deeply personal recent album, y. But the quaver in her voice on this song was all too familiar.

“,” she told her Aunt Dale, whom she calls her “second mother” in the song.

“I remember when I was myself,” my mother told me last week. “I just don’t know how to be myself.”

As we have fun World Alzheimer’s Day, the emotions expressed in these two quotes are part of my life story.

On “Loose Rocks,” the Snow Hill, North Carolina native peels back the layers of her aunt Dale’s dementia diagnosis. “She raps, ‘In the hundreds of conversations I’ve had with my mother since her diagnosis, this is her greatest fear. She forgets a lot these days, but she doesn’t forget the things she’s most afraid of losing. There will come a day when she doesn’t recognize who I am. When she doesn’t remember everything we’ve been through as a parent and a child. But most importantly, when she doesn’t remember the grandchildren and daughter-in-law she’s always prayed for. It’s hard to know what to say when these conversations come up, and honestly, I haven’t figured it out yet. I don’t know if I ever will, because how do you tell the person in charge of your life that the very essence of who they are won’t be a memory? They’ll never know they ever existed.’”

“Loose Rocks” isn’t an exact replica of my life. But the anger, sadness, and fear expressed in the song are only as palpable. At some point in the past two years, becoming a parent, essentially my mother, became an inevitable part of my life. Paying bills, scheduling doctor’s appointments, filing taxes, talking to lawyers to rearrange wills—it’s hard to assume all of that becoming a component of life. And yet, it’s even harder to assume life without it.

She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a couple of days before Christmas last 12 months, and symptoms began appearing no less than two years earlier. The consensus I’ve gotten from countless individuals who have reached out to me since this piece is that their family members have lived with the disease for 4 to seven years. How much time do I even have left with my mother? How do I prepare for the emotional burden when it inevitably gets worse? How do I live in a moment after I can’t stop serious about the whole thing? And what did she do to deserve this? These are only a snapshot of the questions that paralyze me day by day.

My mother’s stroke and automotive accident were clear signs. I’ll all the time imagine that the quarantine and the coronavirus pandemic did irreversible damage. She kept saying, “I feel different.” Or, “Something is wrong. I just don’t know what.” A natural extrovert, she was forced into isolation. That isolation modified the woman who raised me. Physically, it’s still there. But looking into her eyes, you may see it is a woman fighting to carry on to the pride that made her who she was — but it surely’s a disease that feeds on itself, emotionally crippling her patients and family members. She can still do some tasks on her own, and her commitment to, as she says, “beating this thing” is inspiring. Her indecision is painful now. Her confidence sometimes ebbs and flows by the hour. We communicate day by day via FaceTime, phone calls, and texts. But seeing her misspelled words, especially after spending her life as a teacher, creates a burden that may’t be ignored. The image of him sitting at the kitchen table practicing writing along with his left hand is burned into my brain. Writing with the “non-active” hand helps with cognitive function, or so the doctors tell us.

My parents divorced in 1988, and from there my mother and I moved to my grandmother’s house in central Virginia. They have lived together ever since. At 93, my grandmother, who resides with breast cancer, is quick to inform me that she doesn’t have one other 93 years ahead of her. She recently returned from the hospital after a gentle stroke that she doesn’t remember. My grandmother continuously jogs my memory about the checking account she arrange that may pay for her funeral and burial costs, and “whatever is left, you’ll make the best decision.”

Like RhapsodyMy father and I never had a relationship. I wore our lack of connection almost like a badge of honor. The feeling was greater than mutual, if he didn’t need a relationship with me. Lately, though, I felt offended and resentful.

My mother all the time tells me she’s afraid of being alone. In the future, I’ll sell the house I grew up in and move her into an assisted living facility. I’m wondering what that may do to her Alzheimer’s. Will it speed it up? Will it slow it down? But the query I ask most frequently is pointless. Why did my father’s actions a long time ago ultimately leave my mother alone in a spot she doesn’t know?

The questions we cannot answer are the most difficult.

2023 study by the University of Exeter and King’s College London examined the impact of the pandemic on the brain health of people over the age of 50. Published in the journal, the study found that older people’s memory deteriorated significantly in the first 12 months of the pandemic (and even after quarantine), regardless of whether or not they had contracted the virus. The study found that cognitive decline was exacerbated by aspects reminiscent of loneliness and depression.

During the pandemic, my mother continuously spoke about how lonely she felt and how often she cried about not having the ability to see her family. As an outgoing and extroverted one who was all the time shuttling between Washington, D.C., Virginia, and wherever her beloved South Carolina State Bulldogs were playing football, the change in lifestyle during the lockdown did irreversible damage to my mother.

The most crippling reality of Alzheimer’s/dementia is the stripping away of an individual’s dignity. The person isn’t who they’re or who they may eventually change into. My mother struggles to take care of the independence she has proudly carried throughout my life. But the effects are visible. In the same conversation where she asks the same query five times in five minutes—like when her next therapist appointment is, or when my daughter’s birthday is so she will write it down on her phone—she may offer you the lyrics to her favorite Luther Vandross song or anything related to her college alumni chapter.

Karen Marshall and her grandson Huey visit the Children’s Museum of Richmond in Virginia.

Justin Tinsley

I took her and my son to the Children’s Museum of Richmond this summer. She did nothing but push a stroller while her grandson played with toys, but the joy in her eyes jogged my memory of the woman I’ve all the time loved. As we drove home, she said, “Thank you for making me feel like a real grandma today. I needed this more than you know. I know I won’t get to do it again, so I appreciate it.” That positivity didn’t fade even when she got a phone call a short time later and was told she needed a checkup for her surgery the week before. In that moment, all she wanted was the peace she’d spent years trying to find. Alzheimer’s would eventually rob her of that feeling, but not then. That smile on her face is something I’ll always remember.

What is so bad is how Alzheimer’s takes away time. This stress has affected every part of my life, including marriage and parenting. The conversation with my friend on Wednesday might have been God speaking through her.

“Justin, knowing what I know about your personality, you can’t be everyone’s Superman,” she told me. “You’ll break down and it’ll take years to get back on your feet. You can’t afford that luxury with kids. Or marriage. Because they remember you the way they remember you.”

In a world dominated by Alzheimer’s, being here and now is difficult because I’m clinging to the past. The woman she was once. The relationship we had before all the things turned the other way up. The life she fantasized about but never knew. But it isn’t fair. Not to me, my children, my wife, and even my mother. What matters is the future. I can not lose my mother and family to Alzheimer’s. She would never forgive me for that.

I still have not come to terms together with her diagnosis and there is a likelihood I never will. Her love stays the same, but I see that the disease is already taking away the one one who has known me longer than I even have known myself.

Every day, every hour, with one and all, this type of emotional theft is depressingly fruitful. Money is all the time needed, but somewhere along the way we realize that experiences are the strongest currency. Experiences create memories, and that’s all we will take with us.

It’s hard to say whether “Loose Rocks” will likely be the best song of 2024. But I can say that there probably won’t be a more essential song to me. This song makes me take into consideration what was, what’s now, and what could occur in the next few years. I could never have imagined a world where my mother couldn’t be the grandmother she all the time embodied, and that’s a reality I struggle with each day. In life, we control the things we will control and let all the things else play out the way it does. I can’t control my mother’s Alzheimer’s the same way Rapsody can’t control her aunt’s dementia. “Loose Rocks” isn’t only a painful song. It’s a stupendous song. But it’s also a reminder of responsibility and blessings.

If we’re lucky, we will see our parents get older. Visits mean more, and phone calls change into ornaments that we supply with us for the rest of our lives. Nothing in life is fair or free, because even happiness has its price.

Cover notes

Justin Tinsley is a senior culture author at Andscape. He believes that “Cash Money Records takin’ ova for da ’99 and da 2000” is the most influential statement of his generation.


This article was originally published on : andscape.com
Continue Reading

Entertainment

Eastside Golf Invitational Proves Golf Is For Everyone – Essence

Published

on

By

Under a warm September sun at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, New Jersey Eastside Invitational Golf Tournament It felt like a historic moment within the making. With sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, black athletes, celebrities and business leaders gathered on the pristine fairways not only to play, but to redefine what golf could appear to be.

Invitation, presented by Mercedes-Benz USAwas greater than only a sporting event — it was an announcement about inclusivity, luxury, and the facility of representation. Stars like Anthony Anderson, Terrence J, Angie Martinez, CC Sabathia, and Victor Cruz got here out in support, adding their voices to the growing chorus that golf really is “everyone’s game.”

The Eastside Golf Invitational proves that golf is a game for everyone

Erica J. Bolden, head of diversity and inclusion at Mercedes-Benz USA, was the driving force behind this groundbreaking partnership with Eastside Golf, a brand founded by Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper. Both former collegiate athletes, Ajanaku and Cooper founded Eastside Golf with a mission to make the game more accessible to communities of color. Their iconic logo—a black man in mid-swing in jeans and a sweatshirt—quickly became a logo of cultural fusion, combining streetwear with a sport that had long been the domain of the elite.

“When we first approached Eastside, we knew it was about more than just sponsoring an event,” Bolden said. “We wanted to help them create real, lasting change, and golf was a powerful way to do that. This partnership is about more than branding—it’s about changing the way people see the sport and who has a place in it.”

The Eastside Golf Invitational proves that golf is a game for everyone

The relationship between Eastside Golf and Mercedes-Benz USA goes beyond the superficial level of sponsorship. Bolden emphasized the importance of constructing long-term, sustainable change within the communities they serve. “Anything I do in the community, I want to make sure it’s mutually beneficial. I don’t want it to be just a sponsorship where we slap our logo on something and go away,” she explained.

The partnership not only lifts up black athletes and entrepreneurs, but additionally opens doors for future generations. Mercedes-Benz has supported the Morehouse College golf team and provided scholarship funding for college students excited by the game. “We’ve made it clear that we’re building a pipeline for talent,” Bolden said. “There are internships, scholarships, even emergency funds to make sure students don’t lose out on opportunities to succeed.”

The Eastside Golf Invitational proves that golf is a game for everyone

Liberty National Golf CourseWith its world-class facilities and iconic backdrop, it has hosted prestigious events just like the PGA Tour. But the sight of black golfers, celebrities and entrepreneurs having fun with the course was groundbreaking in a sport where diversity had been left behind. For many years, golf had been synonymous with exclusivity, a world that seemed far faraway from the lived experiences of many black athletes and fans. But the Invitational was a daring statement that it was time for change.

The roots of exclusion in golf run deep. From the times of Charlie Sifford and Althea Gibson fighting for his or her place on the course to Tiger Woods breaking barriers, the game has struggled with diversity. But Ajanaku and Cooper are a part of a brand new wave of innovators pushing the game into uncharted territory. Mercedes-Benz, with its heritage of luxury and innovation, saw the vision and joined forces with Eastside Golf to make an actual impact.

The day of the Invitational was electrifying. Celebrities and competitors strolled the course, joking with one another, however the camaraderie was full of purpose. Eastside Golf, which began as a vision between two friends, is now making waves in an industry that has historically been slow to alter. “I love seeing how diverse it is now,” Bolden noted, taking within the scene. “Started by two black men, originally thinking about the black community, but now expanding beyond it. That’s what makes the partnership so special—now it’s everybody’s game.”

The Eastside Golf Invitational proves that golf is a game for everyone

The Invitational wasn’t only a golf tournament; it was a culture shift. Eastside Golf’s signature apparel, from fitted caps to polo shirts that remember black culture, was worn with pride by attendees, a walking billboard for what the brand stands for. But as Bolden notes, it’s the brand’s growth and continued deal with giving back that sets it apart. “They started small, but now their ambassadors are everywhere, and they’re still giving back. That’s what I love most—they haven’t lost sight of where they came from.”

By the top of the day, the event’s significance was undeniable. Black athletes, influencers, and executives reclaimed an area that always felt off limits. “That’s how you make a lasting impact—you have to engage, feel it, and be there,” Bolden said. “And we’re just getting started.”

The Eastside Golf Invitational proves that golf is a game for everyone

Looking ahead, Bolden sees even larger things for Eastside Golf. “I’d like to see more women involved in the game. And with the pace at which Eastside has grown, I know we’ll see even more progress. This partnership is about more than just golf—it’s about changing the culture.”

As the sun set over Liberty National (with a closing performance by rapper Fabolous), the Eastside Golf Invitational wasn’t just in regards to the celebrity competitors or the luxurious setting. It was in regards to the power of representation and the long run of black excellence in golf. Eastside Golf and Mercedes-Benz USA are coming together to prove that the sport isn’t only for the elite—it’s for everybody.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending